Why Oklahoma WR Elijah Thomas Could See Larger Role as a Sophomore

NORMAN — Elijah Thomas didn’t put up flashy stats during his first season of college football, but he was quietly impactful for the Sooners.

Thomas, a true freshman in 2025, appeared in all 13 of Oklahoma’s games last year. He played 242 special-teams snaps for the Sooners and finished the year with seven solo tackles.

A former 4-star prospect from Checotah, OK, Thomas played both wide receiver and safety in high school, though he came to OU to play wide receiver.

But thanks to his versatility, Thomas had a significant role during his first year.

“He made me a good coach because of how he could close the ball carriers as a tackler,” Oklahoma special teams coordinator Doug Deakin said. “Him being a two-way… safety and receiver in high school, that was a big plus because it showed up in drill work right away.”

Of Thomas’ seven tackles in 2025, five of them were solo stops. One of those solo tackles came on a kickoff return against Alabama in the College Football Playoff, as Thomas was able to down the Crimson Tide’s returner deep into his own territory, sparking the crowd at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

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Deakin acknowledged that Thomas wasn’t perfect while playing in the Sooners’ special teams formations. But between the receiver’s versatility and coachability, Thomas was able to consistently perform when called upon.

“You’re going to make mistakes,” Deakin said. “He was so much fun to coach because he would make mistakes at a million miles an hour. He didn’t hesitate, he was aggressive, and then he didn’t make the same mistake twice. That’s exactly why Elijah Thomas flourished.”

Thomas, entering his second year at OU, will likely be a key special teams player again in 2026.

But OU coach Brent Venables hopes he can become an offensive weapon as well.

Thomas caught only one pass for five yards during his freshman season. He nearly caught a deep ball late in OU’s lopsided win at Temple, but Thomas drew a pass-interference call as Michael Hawkins Jr.’s pass went wayward.

Venables said there was a certain amount of rawness to Thomas’ game in 2026, and the wideout logged only 37 offensive snaps as a result.

“Maybe (he) wasn't technically savvy on how to play receiver, how to get open, understanding coverages and route conversions, things like that,” Venables said.

Venables, though, believes that Thomas’ development during the first few months of the offseason will allow him to get more offensive opportunities in 2026.

“ET has done a really good job,” Venables said. “He’s in a much better place than he was a year ago.”